Changes To Disability Access Services Have Disney Parks Under Fire
By Amanda Finn
VACATIONS
Disney Parks’ Disability Access Service (DAS) provides guests with disabilities a less strenuous waiting experience, but its issues led to an overhaul that has guests heated.
Visitors with DAS access receive a return time to go on a ride if they cannot physically stay in the line. Before the 2024 program update, DAS covered a broader range of people.
Disney now says that DAS caters to park-goers with a “developmental disability like autism or similar disorder.” This update was because DAS use has tripled in the last five years.
DAS was previously abused by a lot of park-goers, especially since Disney removed its complimentary FastPasses. Now, folks who abuse the program face a lifetime ban.
Some X users think that the change wasn’t caused by abuse of the DAS system, but rather a desire to sell more Genie+ programs, which lets users skip lines for a fee.
After the update, visitors can no longer apply for the DAS in person and must apply online beforehand. Some individuals claim they've had issues securing a DAS appointment.
DAS applicants were also frustrated that cast members, rather than doctors, had the final say, and that cognitive conditions seem to have higher approval rates than physical ones.
Some guests shared online that they can no longer enjoy most rides anymore since they don’t qualify for DAS. So while the fraudsters lose out, lots of innocent guests do too.